Editor’s Note: The Ida County Courier will be profiling members of our community in coming issues. Have a suggestion on someone whom we can profile? Send an email to news@idacountycourier.com.
Ida Grove received state-level attention when Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg visited a couple of downtown businesses Thursday, Sept. 1. As Co-Chair of the governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative, he came to visit with a few business owners hopeful to receive funds from the initiative’s Rural Scale Up Grant Program.
On the Empower Rural Iowa Initiative, Gregg said their mission was “all about driving investment and opportunities in small towns.” The program would provide a grant or forgivable loan to qualifying businesses.
The city of Holstein may see yet another bill in the coming weeks, this time topping half a million. During their regular meeting Sept. 6, the Holstein City Council considered entering a Sewer Revenue Loan and Disbursement Agreement.
The loan would be to cover the costs of planning, designing and constructing improvements and extensions to the Municipal Sanitary Sewer System. Under the terms of the loan, the city could borrow up to $570,000. The council set a public hearing to discuss entering the agreement, which will take place during their regular meeting Oct. 3 at 5:30 p.m.
After a short delay, the Ida County Board of Supervisors have received a contractor bid for the planned courthouse renovation project. Bids for the project were opened during the board meeting Aug. 31. The renovation had one bidder, L&L Construction, who submitted a contract with a total price of $2,471,000, which was near the estimated cost. L&L estimated they would be able to begin renovations near the end of this fall and work through the winter.
Kyle and Mary Rohlk of Ida County were inducted into the 2022 Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the 4-H Exhibits Building at the Iowa State Fair on Sunday, Aug. 21. 98 Iowa counties participated this year and selected 133 inductees for their outstanding service and dedication to 4-H. Inductees or their surviving family members were presented a certificate by the Iowa 4-H Foundation President, Julie McGonegle, and State 4-H Program Leader, Debbie Nistler, as they were introduced on stage.
Randy Feenstra, the U.S. House Representative for Iowa’s Fourth District, made a stop in Ida Grove last Monday at Landus Cooperative. Feenstra is on the House Agriculture Committee, and Landus was one of his stops around the district to consult with farmers about their needs. Feenstra took a tour of the Landus facility and sat down with staff to discuss their concerns. Landus had a positive report for crop yields in the area and did not have the same problems as other farms around Iowa with corn not filling out.
The Galva City Council officially awarded contracts for the Wastewater System Improvements Project in a special meeting Aug. 29. Bainbridge Construction received the contract for Section 1 of the project, and King Construction received Sections 2 and 3.
With school back in session, some of the new staff in Ridge View’s Galva-Holstein district elementary have agreed to a Q&A session to introduce themselves to the surrounding community.
Angela Mallison
A Holstein native, Angela will be a paraeducator at the elementary. She attended college at Western Iowa Tech. Q: Where have you taught previously?
While some construction plans in Ida County have had snags finding bidders, the Ida County Historical Society’s plan for restoration work on the Moorehead House Museum in Ida Grove have found a taker. They discussed a bid and cost estimate during their regular meeting Aug. 25. The historical society plans on doing exterior work to upkeep the old Moorehead house, primarily focused on repainting. The contractor who has offered to do the work gave a cost estimate of $12,575.
Ridge View is preparing for what the new school year will bring, and part of those preparations includes getting new teachers settled. Some of the fresh faces in the Galva-Holstein district agreed to a Q&A session to introduce themselves to the surrounding community.
Jess Crist
Jess will teach Physical Science (General Science, Chemistry, Physics) at the high school. A Le Mars native, she went to college at the University of South Dakota and finished her degree at Lancaster Bible College.
